All those shakers represent a good trend and more like the way it used to be out there in the fall. Those are next spring's legal blackmouth. They do grow fast but I can't see the point in catching and bonking them at 22". That's troubles me, but I know that they are mostly hatchery and that's what they are planting them for, so whatever. The November opening will kill a bunch of 'em for sure.
To avoid them this time of year, switch gear and/or tactics. Pull out the big plugs for trolling and put the hoochies and herring away for awhile. If you don't want to troll, then whip out the jigs and use a single pinched siwash hook on them. Makes for real easy releases and in my experience, catches plenty of the legal sized ones while avaoiding the smaller shakers.
I am surprised this year, with all of the good success stories, to not have heard of the October 40 pounders in the south sound though. Almost every year that I can remember, during October, someone catches a 30-40 pounder, and a lot of them have come from the narrows. Well, maybe they did and I didn't hear, but usually those stories travel pretty far and fast. So maybe they're still out there and we'll get em' in November.
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Seacat